Centre for Effective Learning Environments (CELE)

Lessons in danger - school safety and security, 12-14 November 2003, Paris, France

Are governments doing enough to make sure that school children are safe? The threats posed by natural hazards - for example earthquake, floods and storms - or human actions - such as vandalism, arson, and violent crime cannot be eliminated entirely. But many actors - national, regional and local administrations, architects, local support and emergency services, students, teachers and communities - can play a crucial role in minimising risk and in preparing for an emergency.

Education officials and experts in school safety and security met in Paris at an international seminar on "School Safety and Security" on 12-14 November 2003 to discuss how best to ensure that schools are safe and secure places of learning. This conference was co-organised with the OECD Programme on Educational Building and the United States Department of Education. It focused on safety and security risk assessment in schools; crisis planning and management; infrastructural approaches to school safety; collaborative approaches to school safety; and education, training and support approaches to school safety. The proceedings were published in 2004 in "Lessons in Danger".